Charles ii



(No Model.)

C. H. OROUTT. FOLDING CHAIR;

No. 444,011. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

INVENTOR WITNESSES vaw;

- ..UNI-frED ST-ATES PATENT 'GFFICE;

CHARLES H. ORCUTT, or SPRINGFIELD, 01-110, ASSIGNOR 'ro JOHN w. PEARCE, v or SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,4,01 1, dated January 6, 1891.

I Application filed July 5, 1890. Serial No. 357,800. (No model.)

To all 1077,0721, it may concern: pivotal devices consisting of a plate and Be it known that I, CHARLES H. ORCUTT, socket-cap, as already described in the applicitizen of the United States, residing at Springcation above referred to. The front legs are field, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, connected to the rear legs preferably by strips 5 5 5 have invented certain new and useful Im- K, of metal or other suitable material, con-- provements in Folding Chairs, of which the .veniently curved as shown in Fig. 2 or otherfollowing is a specification, reference being wise, so as not to interfere with said crosshad therein to the accompanying drawings. piece II when the chair is in its folded posi- Myinvention relates to certain new and usetion. The seat-frame can thus be swung 60 IO ful improvements in folding chairs; and the about the pivotal point I, and I will now deobject is to provide such a chair with a lockscribe the locking mechanism, whereby it is ing device consisting, essentially, of a sliding locked in either its folded or sitting position. member and a fixed member, the one being The pivotal points I, forming the hinge, are carriedby one branch or part of the chair located forward of the cross-piece C, and the 6 5 I 5 and the other by the other branch or part of seat extends rearward so as to engage with the chair. One form of construction embodythe said cross-piece, which thus forms a stop ing this principle is shown and described in for the seat when the chair is in its unfolded an application filed by me April 10, 1800, position. The seat itself acts as a lever, in Serial No. 348,185. which the weight of the person on the front 70 In the accompanying drawings, forming a end presses the rear end up against the said part of this specification, andon which like cross-piece O, which is therefore preferably reference-lettersindicate correspondingparts, braced by the back-strips D. Figure 1 represents afront view of my de- The locking device consists of aspring rod vice in its folded position; Fig. 2, an edge or bar L, bent as shown in Fig. 4, or other- 75 view of the same with its sitting position in wise, so that when one end is mounted in the dicated in broken lines; Fig. 3, a rear View seat-frame the other end will extend to the of the chair in its sitting position; Fig. 4, a rear and pass through a strip or piece M, de-' detail View of the spring-rod forming the slidpending from the cross-piece or otherwise. ing locking-bar and adjacent parts; Fig. 5, a It will be seen that'the said rod is accessible 8o portion of the rear leg at the hinge with the from the front end of the seat-frame, so as to seat and adjacent parts in section, the chair be actuated by the fingers to disengage it being locked in its folded position; Fig. 6, a from its locking position by springing it back sectional View of the same in its sitting posiinto the position shown in dottedlines in Figs. tion; Fig. 7, a rear viewof the locking parts; 1 and at. Any convenient form of locking- 85 and Fig. 8,a section on the line 00 a: of Fig. 6, bar may be used, so long as it is accessible showing the preferred form of hinge. from the front end of the seat, and spring- The letter A designates the rear legs and actuated so as to engage with its locking back of a folding chair of the usual or any socket or connection. This strip or piece M approved type, having the top 13 preferably has a turned-up end M, and is preferably 0 0 connected to the cross-piece O by the usual of some rigid material, so that when the end back-strips D, and also having lower rounds of the spring L strikes on the said curved E E. portion the rod will be sprung back till it A seat-frame F, having the seat-bottom G reaches its locking position in the slot 0, of perforated Veneer or other suitable mawhich is. preferably somewhat larger thanthe 95 terial, and provided with a cross-piece H, of said rod, that it may not bind thereon under wood, metal or other material, on the lower the strains put on the chair when tipped back rear end thereof, is pivotally connected at on its rearlegs only. The rod is conveniently each end with the rear legs A, preferably by guided by a groove in the seat-frame, and means of a dowel and socket I, as shown in passes over the strip H, and is conveniently 10c Fig. 8. The front legs J are preferably se= supported at its rear end bya plate P, secured cured to the front end of the seat-frame by to the seat-frame. The position of the 1ocking parts when the chair is locked in its sitting position is shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7.

The round E before mentioned is convenient-ly provided with a plate Q, having an opening therein, and screwed or otherwise fastened to the said round or cross-piece, so that when the seat assumes its folded position the rear end of the locking-bar will be pressed inward by said plate and slipped into the socket in the same, and thus lock the chair in its folded position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The rear end of the said bar is preferably rounded or beveled, so as to facilitate the action against the plate Q and strip M when it engages therewith. It will be seen that the spring of the metal of which the bar is formed tends to keep it always pressed outward. Any other means for causing this out-- ward action may be employed as long as the bar is accessible from the front end of the scat.

If desired, I may dispense with the round E and lock the chair in its sitting position only, as before described.

The term spring-rod is used to cover any form of spring-locking means, whether in the form of an integral spring-rod or a rod actu ated by a spring separate therefrom.

- Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding chair, the combinatiomwith its back and its seat, the back being provided with an upper cross-piece having a socket and adapted to form a stop for said seat when folded,and also a lowercross-piece having a socket, and the seat being provided with a strengthening cross-piece near its rear end and pivotally connected to the said back, of a spring-actuated locking'bar mountedin said seat and adapted to engage with the sockets in both cross-pieces, respectively, whereby the chair is locked in both its sitting and its folded position.

2. In a folding chair, the combination, with its seat and its back provided with a crosspiece having a socket and adjacent to the rear end of said seat, of a spring locking-bar mounted in said seat so as to be accessible from the front end thereof and normally projecting outward and adapted to automatically enter said socket when the chair is folded,and thus lock it in its folded position.

3. I11 a folding chair, the combinatiomwith its back and its seat, of an upper and alower piece carried by said back adjacent to the rear end of said seat, and a locking device consisting of a sliding member and a fixed member, one member being carried by said seat so as to engage with the other member carried by said upper piece, and also of a duplicate member carried by said lower piece, whereby the chair is locked in both its sitting and its folded position.

4. In a folding chair, the combinatiomwith its seat, its back provided with an upper and a lower pi ce ad jacentto the rear end of the said seat, and bearing or looking plates car ried by said pieces, of a springlocking-bar mountedin said seat so as to be accessible from thefront end thereof and adapted to engage with said bearing or looking plates on the said pieces, respectively, whereby the chair is automatically locked in both its sitting and its folding position andunlocked by manipulating said bar.

5. In afoldingchair, the combination,with its seat and its back provided with a cross piece adjacent to the rear end of the seat, of a spring locking-bar adapted to slide-in and out from the edge of saidseatand accessible from the front end thereof and adapted to engage said cross-piece andlock the chair in its folded position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. ORCUT'J.

\Vitnesses:

OLIVER H. MILLER, WARREN HULL. 

